


The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty

by Arxsia



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Crossover, Enemies to Friends to Future Lovers, It's Yu-Gi-Oh but figure skating instead of card games, M/M, Puzzleshipping, Violetshipping, Violetshipping Week 2018, Yu-Gi-Oh meets Yuri On Ice, Yugi On Ice AU, puppyshipping - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 05:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13474650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arxsia/pseuds/Arxsia
Summary: Is this the start of a haters to lovers fanfic? Kaiba’s Dragons must be losing their minds over this! But there's no mistaking the pictures! The beautiful, but socially-withdrawn Seto Kaiba was spotted at the site of the Grand Prix finals today, holding on to none other than the adorable Katsuya Jounouchi as they sped through the streets of Barcelona on Jounouchi’s Red Eyes Black Motorcycle.





	The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty

**Author's Note:**

> Sometime last year, after finishing Yuri on Ice, I noticed some major similarities between the dynamic between Yuri and Victor and the dynamic between Yugi and Atem(Yami Yugi). A comparison between Yuri Plisetsky and Seto Kaiba followed, and the "Yugi On Ice" AU was born. Unfortunately, I never got around to writing it, so it's nothing more than a series of headcanons.
> 
> Fast forward to this year and some Violetshipping/Puppyshipping/KaiJou shippers organized "Violetshipping Week 2018," the week leading up to Jounouchi's birthday on the 25th.
> 
> I've been shipping these two for 14-15 years and yet I've never written them. Until now. Obviously, "Yugi On Ice" is entirely a Puzzleshipping AU, but there's some self-indulgent KaiJou on the side, and this week inspired me to finally write for my OTP.
> 
> Don't worry if you've never seen Yuri On Ice, this should still be understandable without context!

Of all the places and all the days for this to happen to him, it had to be in Barcelona during the Grand Prix Finals. Why him? _Atem_ never had this problem. Then again, he was practically figure skating royalty and his fans respected him like a king. He got along with almost anyone and his few more _extreme_ fans had to pass through Atem’s bodyguard, Mahad.

Seto Kaiba’s fans on the other hand, the self-appointed “Kaiba’s Dragons”, were, for the most part, a lot more… rambunctious and a bit harder to keep off him, despite his own very competent bodyguard. But Isono was currently with Mokuba, and they'd gotten separated, so Kaiba was left to fend off his fans on his own. It seemed no matter where he turned, he ran into another fan wanting his picture or his autograph, or, occasionally, some more outrageous or… disturbing request, and his long legs could only take him so far away.

Ducking into an alleyway, Kaiba pressed himself into a doorway and took a moment to catch his breath. If he could just wait them out while they passed by, he might just be able to make his escape and get back to Mokuba.

“Where did he go?” he heard a fan cry in despair.

“He’s gotta be close by! I can smell him, I’m sure of it!” Said another. Kaiba very much did _not_ want to know how that fan was apparently so familiar with his scent.

“Should we split up?”

 _Shit_. How was he going to get out of this? Surely they planned to drag him to some fan gathering and he liked his personal space, thank you very fucking much.

The purring roar of an approaching motorcycle cut through his thoughts and he looked over to see a motorcycle with the Red Eyes Black Dragon painted on it. There was only one person he knew who owned a motorcycle like that.

“Yo, Kaiba! Need a lift?” Flicking up the red-tinted visor of his helmet, Jounouchi grinned at him. Kaiba balked in return. Of all the people to show up now, why _him_? But as his fans appeared around the corner, delightedly crying his name, he was reminded that he had no way out of this.

As if sensing the urgency of the situation, Jounouchi tossed him a spare helmet and looked at him expectantly. “Well, you comin or not?”

Well, he didn’t have much of a choice now, did he? Kaiba slipped the helmet on and swung a leg over the bike, seating himself behind Jounouchi. A muttered ‘hang on,’ was all he heard before the bike zoomed forward, forcing him to latch on to the blond, arms wrapping around his waist. The roar of the motorcycle was all he could hear now, and it was a blessing compared to the highly undesirable cries of his fans. But damn, he owed Jounouchi now, didn’t he?

As Jounouchi sped through the streets of Barcelona, his mind raced as fast as his bike. This was the perfect opportunity to do something he’d given up trying to do years ago; something he was inspired to try pursuing again after Atem flew all the way to Japan and declared he was going to train Yugi. It wouldn’t be easy, that was for sure. Kaiba was still a massive jerk. He would no doubt spurn all of Jounouchi’s attempts to befriend him, but…

Kaiba was surprisingly warm for a guy with a personality as cold as the ice on which they skated. So much for Jounouchi’s theory that his body was made of ice too. This was… nice.

* * *

Jounouchi stopped when they reached the Park Güell municipal garden. As he climbed off and took off his helmet, Kaiba just stared at him, making him feel a little sheepish all of a sudden. With a lopsided grin, Jounouchi gestured toward the stairs leading up to the top of the pillars. “Come on, I heard the view’s pretty amazing from up there.”

For a while, Kaiba said nothing, not understanding why Jounouchi brought them here. Why not just take him back to the hotel? Instead he brought him here, for what? Sightseeing?

Sighing in frustration, Jounouchi rubbed his face and answered Kaiba’s silent question while fishing through his pockets for his phone. “Mokuba’s looking for ya. Anzu ran into him a while ago and she texted a bunch of us asking if any of us had seen ya. Mai took my sister shopping, so I went for a ride on my bike. I saw you run by but I didn’t think anythin of it until I saw Anzu’s text.” Digging out his phone, Jounouchi started tapping away at the screen. “I’m texting her back now so she can tell Mokuba to meet us here.” 

Only then did Kaiba finally remove his helmet and climb off the bike, reluctantly following Jounouchi up the stairs. “Why didn’t you take me straight to Mokuba then?”

Jounouchi laughed at that, as if it should be obvious. “And make a big fuss with the public seeing _you_ get off _my_ motorcycle? Didn’t think ya’d want that. Your fans can get kinda scary. It’s nice and quiet here.”

“...How considerate of you.” As much as Kaiba hated to admit that Jounouchi was right, the blond unfortunately was. “You’re right, I wouldn't want to be seen socializing with a third-rate skater like you.”

“Hey!” Hissing, Jounouchi glared at him from the corner of his eye, resisting the urge to shove at him. After all, they were still going up the stairs and accidentally shoving Kaiba down them was certainly not the way to befriend him. “I ain't third-rate, Kaiba, fuck you. Maybe I’m not as good as you or Yugi, but don't forget, I won US Nationals before I moved back to Japan and I’ve been doing pretty good since then.”

They made it to the top of the stairs and Jounouchi was grateful for that, no longer having to worry about unintentionally shoving Kaiba down the stairs, especially when the brunet persisted in diminishing Joey’s triumphs as a skater. “Only because Pegasus was out with an injury and Keith Howard was having an off day and kept popping his jumps. You’re average at best, you couldn't beat me at my worst, and with Atem training him, Yugi’s only getting stronger as a competitor.”

This really wasn’t the direction Jounouchi was hoping their conversation would go, but he couldn’t very well let Kaiba knock him down without defending himself, now could he? “You still can't call me third-rate, I made it to the Grand Prix finals!”

“Barely,” Kaiba scoffed. “If Atem was competing this season, you would've had no hope of qualifying. You’re nothing more than the underdog here.”

Kaiba’s unrelenting refusal to acknowledge Jounouchi’s talents was quickly souring the blond’s mood. With a frustrated grunt, he trudged on ahead of the brunet, eager to look at the beautiful view of the city instead of Kaiba’s unfortunately beautiful but also off-putting smug face. Damn it. “Fuck you. I have just as much a shot at winning this thing as you do.”

Stopping a few feet behind Jounouchi, Kaiba continued, superior confidence radiating off him in waves. “My planned base technical score far exceeds yours. Yugi and I are the favorites to win, and don’t forget Pegasus and Otogi made it to the finals as well. You'll be lucky if you make the podium.”

Frowning, Joey flipped him off over his shoulder. “Just watch me, Kaiba, I’m gonna prove you wrong.”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Jounouchi could practically feel the smirk on Kaiba’s face, without having to turn around to see it. Damn him. And damn Jounouchi’s minor - excuse you, _very_ minor - attraction to the guy.

Jounouchi waited for more, but thankfully nothing followed. A passing breeze ruffled his hair, slowly helping him relax as he looked out at the stunning city below them, marveling at the rainbow of colors. Every international competition he went to, he always made sure to soak in the sights as much as he could outside of practice, knowing he would otherwise never have the chance. The silence was calming, easing away his anger and frustration. The sun was low in the sky by now and would be setting soon. He wondered how far away Mokuba still was, how long it would take the younger Kaiba to reach them, how much longer he had to just try to break some of the ice between him and Kaiba. Jounouchi never understood why Kaiba hated him, right from the beginning. They had more in common than… well, anyone else Jounouchi could think of. And yet Kaiba always went out of his way to put him down, more than he would anyone else. Why?

As Jounouchi seemed to be deep in thought, Kaiba stared at his back, at the unruly mop of hair that shone like gold in the slowly-dying sunlight. They’ve never been completely alone together for this long. It was almost unnerving. He never let himself stay too long in anyone’s company, save for Mokuba’s of course. And they've never been silent together for this long, but the quiet that settled between them now actually wasn’t unpleasant. Granted, he still couldn’t fathom Jounouchi’s reasons for bringing him up here, assuming he had any. The blond had a whole slew of friends he could watch the sunset with, didn’t he? And yet here he was, with _him_ , as if they _didn’t_ constantly bicker whenever they had the misfortune of meeting.

Gently, Jounouchi broke the silence, staring into the distance. “You wanna know why I skate, Kaiba?” If he had any hopes of initiating a friendship with the human ice block, he needed to say _something_ , didn’t he?

Kaiba ‘hmm’ed in annoyance, gaze darting to look at the city as well. “I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway.”

Having fully expected such a response, Jounouchi rolled his eyes, letting himself be amused for once. Well, at least Kaiba hadn't walked off and abandoned him yet. Sure, he _was_ waiting for Mokuba, but he also didn't have to stay up here with Jounouchi, so the blond took it as a good sign. Maybe, just maybe, he might be able to get through to the jerk. “It used to just be for fun, when I was a kid. I mean, I did my best in competitions, but the most important thing for me was just trying to have fun.”

Kaiba said nothing.

“After juniors, I kept skating cause it was all I knew how to do, ya know? Things with my dad were getting pretty bad and I’m not all that smart, so I wasn’t doing that great in school - don’t you dare say anything, that wasn’t an invitation to insult me.”

Smirking, Kaiba replied, “It’s hard not to, when you make it so easy.”

“Shaddup. Anyway, things got better when I moved back to Japan and was able ta see my sister again. It was hard to keep in touch before then, but she’d always tell me she watched every competition she could from the ones that I was in, always cheerin me on. So even though I spent all those years without her, it’s like a part of her was always with me, at every event. And now she's always there, in the audience, watchin me. I skate for her now. Well… maybe I always did.”

The silence continued. Jounouchi wasn’t sure whether to be disappointed or frustrated by that. He genuinely bared his soul to the guy and Kaiba didn’t seem to care in the slightest… or perhaps he needed some prompting.

“What about you, Kaiba?”

“What about me?”

“Why do _you_ skate? I know you started because of your dad-”

“Don't presume you know anything about me.” The cold, clipped tone of Kaiba’s interruption had Jounouchi turning his head, looking at the other skater over his shoulder.

“Jeez, Kaiba, you're one of the top skaters in the world-”

“Second to Atem _only_.”

“-We all know _some_ version of your story; at least the one the media’s given us.”

Frosty blue eyes flicked in his direction, narrowing at this casual fact, as if Kaiba wanted nothing more than to distance himself from the media’s portrayal of him. Between trying to prove he’s the best with or _without_ competition from Atem, and taking the program Atem choreographed _for_ him and perfecting it and making it all his own, it seemed Kaiba was working hard this season to finally bury that image.

“The media likes to sensationalize every story it gets its hands on.”

Jounouchi turned around to face him fully now, leaning against the ledge behind him, taking in the cold expression, the silent challenge in those blue eyes that dared him to say something stupid in response. It’s all Kaiba ever expected from him, wasn’t it?

But Jounouchi refused to back down, daring Kaiba to open up to him like he just did moments ago. “So why don't ya tell me _your_ version?”

The staring continued, the air growing tense between them. “Why on _Earth_ would I do _that_?”

A groan fell from Jounouchi’s lips, face scrunching indignantly. He just couldn’t catch a break with this jerk. “You know, you _could_ be a little nicer to the guy who just saved you from a bunch of raving fans.”

Kaiba scoffed, _some_ of the ice melting from his gaze, though it did nothing to break the tension in the air. “And I’m still wondering why you went out of your way to do so. The entire world knows we don’t like each other.”

For a split second, Jounouchi perked up. The tension dissipated. For that brief moment, he felt like maybe this wasn’t impossible after all. Grinning widely like a child who’d just been given a mountain of candy, he jabbed a finger in Kaiba’s direction. “Aaahhh, you didn’t say _hate_.”

“Hating you would take more effort than you’re worth.”

And just as quickly as the moment came, it left, the tension returning, almost suffocating. Jounouchi sighed, the sensation of defeat slowly creeping on him. “Fucking hell, Kaiba, can you chill for a minute? I deserve _that_ much for saving you, don't I? Just a few minutes of you being civil ta me for once?”

Kaiba rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his chest in defiance. “Quit saying you _saved_ me. I wasn’t some damsel in distress.”

Jounouchi shrugged and looked Kaiba over, assessing him, trying to convince himself to keep going with this, trying to cling to the insane idea in his head that a friendship with him would be worth something, worth all the struggle to attain it. “Never said ya were. But I’m pretty sure hiding in an alleyway from your crazy fans, miles away from your only family, qualifies as needing help. You just can’t stand the fact that you got it from _me_.”

“Hmpf. You’d be correct.”

The tension between them was as solid and as cold as ice now. How did Jounouchi ever think he could break through the massive wall between them? What part of Atem giving up competing for a season, flying all the way to Japan to train Yugi, and those two falling in love had any _remote_ relevance to his situation with Kaiba? Just what had Jounouchi really been hoping for at all?

“I hope you’re not expecting a medal for such an obvious answer, especially not gold.”

“ARGH!” That did it. Jounouchi was fed up with this whole ordeal. Throwing his arms up, he kicked off the wall with a huff and spun around, turning his back to the asshole behind him. “Fuck off, Kaiba.” In a lower tone, defeated now, he muttered, “Why do I even bother?”

That… wasn't at all the reaction Kaiba had been expecting. Was Jounouchi, in all seriousness, trying to _befriend_ him? He hadn't tried that since their first meeting, ages ago. This wasn't their usual song and dance. He was used to pushing the blond’s buttons until he lashed out, fists raised, threatening a fight - not that they ever actually exchanged blows, since Jounouchi’s friends would hold him back or the idiot would eventually see reason and give up. But getting a rise out of Jounouchi was something Kaiba lived for; it was thrilling. The idiot was… annoyingly attractive and getting him all riled up and angry was the only way Kaiba knew how to release some of his pent up frustration over said attraction, without compromising himself.

It was childish; he knew that, but that never stopped him from doing it. Besides, he _never_ could've shown attraction to another male, regardless of Jounouchi’s talents as a skater. Gozaburo would've tossed him and Mokuba back on the street and there was no way in _hell_ he would've _ever_ let that happen. Kaiba had built himself to survive and even long after Gozaburo's death, he still couldn't let go of that survival instinct. That was something he envied of Atem, apart from his Olympic Champion and World Champion titles, the way his rival so easily dropped everything and chased after Yugi without an ounce of shame, while Kaiba could barely hold a casual conversation with anyone that wasn’t Mokuba. Frankly, he never gave a damn about making friends. He never needed them before, so why would he need them now?

But Mokuba’s face flashed in his mind, loving and concerned. _‘Seto, you know I love you, and I’ll always be right there beside you, but your whole life can’t just be me and skating.’_

Staring at Jounouchi’s slumped form, Kaiba was torn between laughing at the idiot’s renewed attempts to befriend him and being tempted to take pity on him for once and honestly answer the question.

Above them, shades of gold and orange blanketed the sky, the sun beginning its descent into the horizon. Jounouchi wondered what his friends were up to. Mai and Shizuka were likely still shopping. Anzu probably would've gone to join them after relaying his message to Mokuba. Honda was probably chasing after girls somewhere, with Otogi, and by the end of the night, they’d still be together. Yugi was no doubt having the time of his life with Atem, the pair absolutely inseparable now. Jounouchi was happy for his best friend. Despite the pressure and anxiety over finals, Yugi was the happiest he’d ever been in his life.

As Jounouchi started thinking about where he should go to grab some dinner, a voice from behind him startled him from his thoughts. Surely Kaiba left, hadn’t he?

“I didn't start skating because of Gozaburo.”

Straightening up, Jounouchi turned to see that Kaiba was indeed still standing in the exact same spot, though less hostile, hands in his pockets now, a cautiousness in those deep blue eyes that wasn’t there before. The ice between them had somehow died away in whatever amount of time had just passed.

When Jounouchi said nothing, Kaiba continued. “Gozaburo adopted me because he saw the potential in me to become an Olympic champion. I would've done anything at the time to get Mokuba and myself out of that damn orphanage, so I dedicated my life to becoming the World champion and Olympic champion I know I _will_ be, no matter who stands in my way.”

Jounouchi’s tongue felt like sandpaper. The way he spat the name, it seemed Kaiba’s adoptive father was a touchy subject for him. Jounouchi could relate. He responded carefully. “But Gozaburo’s dead.”

Kaiba rolled his eyes. “Thank you for stating the obvious.” But his tone lacked the usual bite. “I never skated for him. I don't give a single _fuck_ about proving him right or wrong. He may have given me the means to become the skater I am today, but he is _nothing_ to me. I skate to _win_ , I skate for _myself_ , and I skate for _Mokuba_.”

Finally, fucking finally, Jounouchi felt like they were getting somewhere. “Guess we got that in common, huh? Your brother’s all you have, he means the whole world to ya, and you'd do anything for him. Same with me and Shizuka.” Tilting his head, Jounouchi regarded him with a smile. “I think we have a lot more in common than you wanna admit.”

“I'm nothing like you, idiot.”

It was Jounouchi’s turn to roll his eyes. “Well thanks for _that_. Jeez, I didn't say you were. But we definitely got stuff in common.”

One of Kaiba’s brows lifted. “If you're trying to take that as some sort of excuse to befriend me, you're more deluded than I thought.” Of course, Kaiba knew this was likely the case, but in no way was he going to make this easy for the idiot. No, if Jounouchi _really_ wanted to get close to him, he’d have to damn well _earn_ it.

The groan that fell from Jounouchi’s lips was predictable. “ _Fucking hell_ , Kaiba, did you get a skate shoved up your ass as a kid or somethin?”

Kaiba continued to stare at him, eyebrow raised. He must’ve lost his damn mind, to allow this. A beat of silence passed, then two. “That's absurdly impractical.”

Jounouchi blinked. Was that…? Was that almost a _joke_? When the silence continued for a another few beats, Jounouchi snorted in laughter. Kaiba said nothing but Jounouchi swore he saw a hint of smirk on the brunet’s lips.

Feeling a hell of a lot lighter now, and with renewed conviction, Jounouchi decided to get to the point. “Look, Mokuba’s a great kid. The world loves him and he makes even _you_ look good. But my point is, he's crazy about ya. So there must be _something_ good in you, for him to love you that much.” A grin tugged at his lips. “And I'm gonna keep trying to find it, you just wait and see.”

“Tch. You have a better chance of winning Worlds and even that's an impossibility for you.” Again, the usual venom that Jounouchi would expect from Kaiba wasn’t there, only sarcasm and Kaiba-brand sass. He could work with that.

“Believe what you want, Kaiba. I _will_ win Worlds someday and I _will_ be your friend someday too.” It may be foolish, sure, but Jounouchi allowed himself to hope. Standing to his full height, he closed the few steps between them and extended a hand, brown eyes glittering with a promise of something. “Whaddaya say? Truce?”

“Excuse me?”

“Come on, Kaiba, you owe me. Those fans a’yours woulda mauled you if I hadn’t shown up. I know ‘friend’ ain’t in your vocabulary yet. All I’m askin is that you stop being an asshole to me.”

“I’m an asshole to _everyone_ , Jounouchi.”

“Yeah, but you’re an _extra_ asshole to me. Would it kill ya to treat me like everyone else at least?”

“Yes.”

Jounouchi gave him a flat look, hand still outstretched.

“...You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope!” The grin that came with that answer was dazzling.

Kaiba would probably never comprehend Jounouchi’s excitement over this… this… _whatever_ this was budding between them. But he could barely comprehend Jounouchi as a whole anyway. They had terrible fathers and adoring siblings in common, but while he was wildly successful and still saw the world as a battle to overcome, the other was average at best and yet managed to see life as a fun adventure. Katsuya Jounouchi was an anomaly. Would Kaiba regret this later? Probably. But for the first time in his life, he decided not to overthink it and just resign himself to the moment. Their hands met and they shook on it.

“To be clear, we are _not_ friends.”

If possible, Jounouchi’s grin widened. “Not _yet_. Baby steps, Kaiba. Baby steps.”

“Idiot.”

All that did was make Jounouchi laugh, as if the blond decided to take that as a term of _endearment_ , for fucks sake. “Jerk.”

Great. Stupid, average-talent, attractive, dumb blond. Kaiba would be kicking himself over this for weeks now.

“Seto!!”

The pair looked up just in time to see Mokuba bounding toward them, Isono not far behind. Despite being 16 now and not at all as small as he used to be, Mokuba launched himself at his older brother, who caught him with expert ease. The scene ruffled Jounouchi’s brotherly instincts.

“I was worried we’d never find you until we ran into Anzu and she got the word out.” Mokuba turned to Jounouchi then, with a genuinely grateful smile. “Thanks so much for saving my big brother from his fans, Jou!”

Blinking in surprise, Jounouchi turned to share a look with Kaiba before looking back at Mokuba. “Wait. How'd you know about that?” He hadn't given Anzu any details, only that he'd found Kaiba and had taken him to the Park Güell municipal garden to wait for Mokuba.

Finally pulling away from his older brother, Mokuba eyed them in disbelief. “Seriously?” When all he got was their still-confused faces in response, Mokuba grinned like a mischievous cat and pulled out his phone, holding it up for them to see as he swapped between a few different apps. “It's all over social media. Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram…” As Mokuba tapped, swiped, and scrolled, Kaiba and Jounouchi were bombarded with pictures of them on Jounouchi’s motorcycle, Kaiba’s arms around his waist as they sped off and maneuvered through the streets of Barcelona.

“It’s even on the figure skating subreddit!” Mokuba switched to the reddit app, where a post he’d clearly been looking at was already open, the title reading: ‘Japan’s Black Dragon Takes off with the White Dragon: Katsuya Jounouchi and Seto Kaiba Ride Away Together!’

Leaning in closer, Jounouchi read out some of the post. “Is this the start of a haters to lovers fanfic? Kaiba’s Dragons must be losing their minds over this! But there's no mistaking the pictures! The beautiful, but socially-withdrawn - ha! - Seto Kaiba was spotted at the site of the Grand Prix finals today, holding on to none other than the adorable - they think I’m adorable? - Katsuya Jounouchi as they sped through the streets of Barcelona on Jounouchi’s Red Eyes Black Motorcycle. But just where were they going in such a rush, and why TOGETHER?” Glancing at the number of upvotes and comments, Jounouchi blanched and pulled back. “Eeehh, so much for not making a big fuss with the public, huh?” He turned to Kaiba, who looked back with the most unimpressed and unamused expression he'd ever given anyone in his entire life.

“I take it back, I hate you.”

But there was no deterring Jounouchi now. He laughed it off and clapped Kaiba on the back. “Too late! We shook on it. Binding verbal agreement or something like that, yeah?”

Looking up from his phone, Mokuba blinked, gray-violet eyes flicking back and forth between his brother and his friend. “...What's going on?”

Like a million-watt bulb, Jounouchi flashed Mokuba the biggest, most triumphant smile he could muster. It was the kind of face he’d have if he were ever to win the World Championships. “Your brother and I made a truce and he's gonna be less of an asshole to me.”

“A decision I'm regretting already.”

Jounouchi’s head swiveled, aiming that brilliant smile on his now sort-of-almost-friend. “Can't take it back.”

“I absolutely can.”

“But you won’t.”

“Watch me.”

“I _am_ watching you, Kaiba.”

Mokuba watched this exchange, the gears whirring in his head. He'd always wanted his brother to have a friend, but Seto’s rivalry with Atem was too great for him to even begin to see the other skater as a friend yet. Yugi had tried to befriend both Kaiba brothers years ago, but while Mokuba had easily accepted, Seto had still been dealing with the aftermath of Gozaburo’s death at the time. Mokuba had hoped the years would soften Seto to the idea of a friendship with Yugi, but alas, it had yet to happen. Jounouchi was the last person that would’ve _ever_ crossed his mind, but it was a start. Best of all, it had somehow flickered to life all on its own! Yes, Mokuba could work with this. “Hey, Jou, why don't you join us for dinner?”

Kaiba turned to his brother with a look of utter betrayal. “Mokuba, no.”

Ignoring him, Mokuba continued, “As a thanks for helping Seto out! Come on, we know this great place. You can follow us on your bike.”

“Well, I _am_ starving.”

“Great! Isono, go start the car please!”

“Right away, master Mokuba.” Bowing his head in respect, Isono walked on ahead. Kaiba watched in horror as his brother and the idiot followed after, chatting away as if he hadn’t just objected to this.

They reached the stairs before Mokuba paused, turning around to look at him and wave him over. “Come on, big bro, I really don’t wanna lose you twice in one day.”

Great. There really was no backing out of this now, was there? But as he stared at both Mokuba’s and Jounouchi’s smiling, expectant faces, a small, unfamiliar lightness bloomed in his chest, like something he’d forgotten over a decade ago, before Gozaburo. Kaiba had promised himself, when the skating season began, that this would be his season of change, the season he finally put Gozaburo behind him. And yet, the changes he’d made thus far had been completely unexpected and entirely dependent on others. His natural instinct was to fight that, to reject it, to run it into the ground and regain control, but if he could just let go, just a little bit, maybe it won’t be so bad.

It took him a moment, but finally, he stepped forward, joining them.

* * *

“Mm, so,” Mokuba paused to swallow, looking up at his brother with eager eyes, “Seto, have you thought about what you’re gonna do for your exhibition skate?” 

Jounouchi slammed his hands on the table, nearly choking on his drink. “Whoa, what?! You don’t have a program for the exhibition skate yet? It’s just a few days away, Kaiba, what gives!”

Offering Jounouchi a napkin across the table, Mokuba explained. “Technically, he _does_ have one, but it’s just a modified version of his free skate from last year.” His big brother _never_ recycled a program, even a medal-winning one, but between getting swept up in Atem’s romantic pursuit of Yugi and being overly focused on perfecting the program Atem gave him as a challenge, Seto had been too busy to create an exhibition program from scratch. “But you said you wanted to try something new, right Seto?”

“That’s right.” He did actually think about it on the ride over to the restaurant, the roar of Jounouchi’s motorcycle present behind them the entire time. He’d always skated to classical pieces for his exhibitions, but he wanted to try something a little more… contemporary this time. Now, as he eyed Jounouchi from across the table, scrutinizing, an idea began to form in his head.

“Uhhh… Kaiba?”

“I might have something.”

Mokuba smelled a surprise. A big one. And he couldn't wait.

* * *

**_Epilogue:_ **

At the exhibition gala at the end of the week, as Kaiba witnessed the sickeningly-sweet display of Yugi and Atem skating _together_ , like the pair of lovers they’d become, he realized his own secret exhibition surprise just wasn’t _big enough_ anymore. His mind raced for a solution as Yugi _lifted his partner_ , their matching costumes glittering under the spotlights. The crowd absolutely ate it up. Tears were shed.

That’s when he remembered the social media frenzy that surrounded him earlier that week, when pictures of him and Jounouchi on the blond’s motorcycle had spread like _wildfire_ . Well then, if the crowd wanted a show, _he’d give them a show_.

“Mokuba.”

“Hm? Yeah, big bro?”

“Text Jounouchi.”

“...Seto?”

“Tell him to get over here with his skates. _Immediately_.”

Later, once Seto Kaiba’s name was announced and Panic! At The Disco’s ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Dirty’ began to play, the last thing anyone expected to see was Jounouchi, under a single spotlight, kicking off the program with his famous backflip. The rest of the show lights flicked on right after, revealing Kaiba in a black turtleneck, black leather pants, fingerless black gloves, and a studded, white leather jacket.

It would go down as the exhibition gala to remember, from Yugi and Atem’s pair skate to Kaiba’s program, which featured more of Jounouchi than just his backflip. After all, who would ever forget the sight of Jounouchi ripping Kaiba’s glove off with his _teeth_?

**_END_ **


End file.
